Boswell, James. The Decision of the Court of Session, Upon the Question of Literary Property; In The Cause John Hinton of London, Bookseller, Pursuer; Against Alexander Donaldson and John Wood, Booksellers in Edinburgh, and James Meurose Bookseller in Kilmarnock, Defenders. Published by James Boswell, Esq; Advocate, One of the Counsel in the Cause

Edinburgh: Printed by James Donaldson, for Alexander Donaldson, 1774. Second edition (with "shop" in imprint). 4to. (ii), iv, 37 pp. Three-quarter blue morocco over marbled paper-covered boards, spine stamped in gilt; all edges trimmed; soiling in top and bottom text edges. From the library of Edward R. Leahy (Christie's, his sale, Part II, December 7, 2022, Lot 137). Rothschild 451; Pottle 50 (first edition)

Handsome copy of this work regarding the important literary copyright dispute, Hinton v. Donaldson. The suit was brought by London bookseller John Hinton, against Scottish booksellers Alexander Donaldson, John Wood and James Meurose, claiming the three men had violated his common law copyright by republishing an edition of a work by Rev. Thomas Stackhouse. James Boswell and John MacLaurin represented Donaldson, and published this text of the opinions of the judges of the Scottish Court that ruled in the defendant’s favor, while the case was being appealed in London.

This lot is located in Philadelphia.

Provenance

From the collection of Justin G. Schiller